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The world's best gem articles, published weekly.

Most Recent Articles

gram princess citrine - face up
Gram Princess: Online Faceting Designs and Diagrams

Introduced in 1960, the classic princess by A. Nagy was an economical cut for flat diamond crystals. However, this popular design doesn’t lend itself very well to colored gemstones. The Gram Princess by Jeff Graham is a redesign of the princess cut suitable for saturated gems.

faceted sulfur - Michigan
Sulfur Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Although sulfur is very abundant, facetable material is not. Sulfur is also enormously difficult to cut and almost impossible to wear, so faceted pieces have some scarcity value for collectors of unusual gems.

pearl symbolism - Dole Plantation
Pearl Symbolism

Prized for millennia, pearls are organic gems with strong associations with the Moon, great value, and weddings. Learn more about pearl symbolism and the lore of the June birthstone.

double heart cabochon - Australia
Variscite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

With beautiful green to blue-green colors and interesting patterns, variscite is a popular hobbyist material for cabochons.

face-up button cut - tourmaline
Button: Online Faceting Designs and Diagrams

Inspired by faceted shell and mother of pearl buttons from the Roaring Twenties, the Button design by Jeff Graham is a simple cut perfect for large, lightly colored gemstones.

Watermelon Tourmaline Buying Guide

Looking for a fun summertime gem? Watermelon tourmaline adds a pop of color that’s perfect for a playful summer look. Learn about the quality factors for this gem in our watermelon tourmaline buying guide.

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"Becoming a Pro Member of IGS just made good sense for my business. The gemology resources are fantastic, and my profile lets potential customers know I am serious about colored gemstones. And frankly, if I get any exposure to potential customers it's a no-brainer."
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Jeweler, IGS Pro Member

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Over 15 years, we have assembled detailed pricing and value information for appraising over 70 different gemstones. The values in our guide come from a variety of sources including primary and secondary gemstone dealers, jewelers, miners, and wholesale suppliers of commonly traded gemstones.

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